If your idea of the perfect vacation includes sleeping in, Hôtel Le Mirage might disappoint you. Getting up with the sun is what folks do in the seaside city of Percé. The hotel even offers a sunrise wake-up call, just in case you’re the type to hit the snooze button a few, too many times.
I tend to be a morning person, but during my visit to this lesser-known stretch of Canada, in the eastern area of the province of Quebec, sunrise was an early 5:22am. Looking out across a grassy hill toward Percé Rock and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, my room’s location offered enough privacy that I fell asleep with the curtains open. The glowing fire in the sky just after 5am was all the alarm I needed to hop out of bed without hesitation or complaint. And when I stepped outside, I wasn’t alone.
Each of the 67 rooms at Hôtel Le Mirage offers a view of Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island. It’s an older hotel with modest, but spacious rooms, a heated outdoor swimming pool, tennis court and a healthy helping of seaside motel charm with a French Quebec twist. I stayed in a Superior Room with a queen bed on the first floor. It wasn’t fancy, but it had all of the amenities needed including a refrigerator and small television. The room layout focuses on the view. Along with a generous inside sitting area, there’s an outside patio with chairs. Rooms on the second level have small balconies.
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There are no elevators, so staying on the ground floor is much easier if you are traveling with a large amount of luggage, but there were times I could hear the people in the room above moving around.
Hôtel Le Mirage is an easy walk into the center of town. Along with a rocky, but scenic beach and a short stretch of boardwalk, Percé is home to shops, restaurants and a colorful, waterfront park and playground. It is also where you catch the ferry to Bonaventure Island, the summer home of 54-thousand Northern Gannet couples. For birdwatchers, it’s paradise.
The hotel has an on-site restaurant that serves breakfast for an additional charge. Bright and airy, the many windows ensure every table has a view of the coast.
Internet access is complimentary. Percé is a seasonal destination. Hôtel Le Mirage is open the end of May through mid-October. Rates for a Superior Room with queen bed range from $89 to $169 CAD ($68 to $130 USD), based on double occupancy.
Photos and review by Dana Rebmann. Dana’s stay was hosted by Hôtel Le Mirage and Quebec Maritime, but as always her thoughts and opinions are her own.
